Vaporization device for calculating inhaled medicant amount and displaying same

ABSTRACT

An inhalation device for inhaling a vaporized substance that includes metering capabilities to inform a user when a particular amount of substance has been consumed. The inhalation device can include a sensor that senses the vaporized substance and a processor that utilizes data from the sensor to meter the amount consumed. The inhalation device can also define a session, which is a time in which a user can consume a particular amount. During the session, a user can start and stop inhaling and resume inhaling. When the user stops inhaling the inhalation device will halt vapor production and will resume production when the user resumes inhaling.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/244,518 filed Aug. 23, 2016, which claims benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Nos. 62/386,614 and 62/386,615, both of which werefiled on Dec. 7, 2015, and 62/388,066, which was filed on Jan. 13, 2016.These applications are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Inhaling devices such as vaporizers, vaporizing pens, and vaporizingmachines are used to vaporize substances such as tobaccos, oils,liquids, medical drugs, and plant herbs. Once vaporized, thesesubstances are then inhaled by consumers. Such inhaling devices havehealth benefits over traditional smoking methods. But inhaling the vaporcan have negative effects on the body depending on the substance, suchas nicotine. Inhaling devices have become more popular with consumers,but pose problems.

For example, while vaporizers can be safer than traditional smokingmethods, it is difficult to meter the amount of vaporized substance thatis being inhaled. So a user of an inhalation device that vaporizesnicotine may actually consume more nicotine than had the user smokedcigarettes or cigars.

There are multiple factors that affect the quantity of drug that isinhaled. These factors include the drug concentration of the vaporizedsubstance, the amount of vapor inhaled, the duration of inhalation,variations between inhalation devices, and variation and inconsistencyin the functionality of the device.

Another issue is that the inhaled substances may have different effectson different users depending on various factors. To optimize a user'sexperience, it is necessary to track the quantity inhaled taken overtime and track the resulting effect it has on that user. This can be atedious and demanding task. Typical users may not keep track of eachdose and record the experience.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, this disclosure describes an inhalation device forinhaling a vaporized substance that includes a channel through which thevaporized substance can flow, a light signal device, wherein the lightsignal device emits light; a sensor, wherein the sensor senses the lightfrom the light signal device; and wherein the light signal device andthe sensor are positioned in the channel such that the vaporizedsubstance can flow past the sensor and the light signal device.

In another aspect, this disclosure also describes a processor, whereinsaid processor uses data from the sensor to meter the consumption of thevaporized substance. The inhalation device can also include a sensor,wherein the sensor acquires data relating to airflow in the device. Theinhalation device can further include an indicator, wherein theindicator informs the user when a dose of the substance has beeninhaled.

In another aspect, this disclosure describes an inhalation device forinhaling a vaporized substance comprising a processor; and a meter,wherein the meter comprises an indicator; wherein the processor, usingdata from the timer, calculates the amount of the substance inhaled, andwherein the indicator informs the user of the amount that has beeninhaled. The inhalation device can further include a mouthpiece, fromwhich a user can inhale a vaporized substance; a reservoir, wherein thesubstance in unvaporized form is stored; and a heating element, whereinsaid heating element is used to heat the unvaporized substance.

The inhalation device can also have the capability of the meterindicating a progressive inhalation of the substance including aprogressive inhalation of the substance in discrete quantities.

In another aspect, this disclosure describes an inhalation devicecomprising: a body, wherein the body includes: a mouthpiece, from whicha user can inhale a vaporized substance; a reservoir, wherein thesubstance in unvaporized form is stored; a heating element, wherein saidheating element is used to heat the unvaporized substance; and aprocessor, wherein the processor defines a session; wherein the deviceis configured such that the unvaporized substance from the reservoir isheated by the heating element to create a vaporized substance and saidvaporized substance is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece; andwherein the processor is configured to keep a session open, during whichthe processor is configured to stop the heating element when the userstops inhaling, and is configured to start the timer and the heatingelement when the user resumes inhaling.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an inhalation device;

FIG. 1A is a diagram of a portion of an inhalation device;

FIG. 1B is another diagram of a portion of an inhalation device;

FIG. 2 is another diagram of an inhalation device;

FIG. 3 is another diagram of an inhalation device;

FIG. 4 is another diagram of an inhalation device;

FIG. 5 is another diagram of an inhalation device; and

FIG. 6 shows graphically the relationship between optosensor change andvapor intensity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an inhalation device 100 for inhaling a vaporizedsubstance. The inhalation device 100 includes a first opening 102 and asecond opening 104. In between the two openings is a channel 106. When auser inhales using the inhalation device 100, air flows into the firstopening 102 and in the device 100, vaporized substance is created by aheating element (not shown), and a mixture of air and vapor flowsthrough the channel 106 to the second opening 104 and ultimately to theuser.

The inhalation device 100 also includes a sensor 108 and a signal 110.The sensor 108 and signal 110 are positioned across from each other inthe channel 106. The sensor 108 senses the vapor amount. For example,the sensor 108 can sense the concentration of vapor. The sensor 108senses the intensity of the signal emitted by the signal 110. If thesensor 108 senses a high signal output, this indicates that the amountof vapor is low, and the vapor/air mixture is dominated by air.Likewise, if the sensor 108 senses a low signal output, this indicatesthat the vapor/air mixture is dominated by vapor.

Data from the sensor 108 can assist the device 100 in providinginformation about vapor concentration to the user. For example, if thesensor senses a 5% drop in intensity from the signal 110, that couldcorrelate to a mixture of vapor/air that is 60% vapor. The chart of FIG.6 graphs the value percent drop in an optocell (i.e., a device thatsenses the intensity of light) versus the percentage of cannabis oilvapor in a mixture of vapor and air.

FIG. 6 shows the correlation between vapor concentration and thereadings from an optocell. Knowing the relative concentration of thevapor can assist the device 100 in providing additional information tothe user. For example, if a user inhales using the device 100 and thesensor 108 senses a high output, this may indicate that theconcentration is less than expected. The device 100 could include anadditional indicator to inform the user that the device 100 is notproducing the expected amount of vapor. The sensor 108 can be anysuitable sensor that senses light including without limitation, aphotosensor, photodetector, optocell, optoresistor, optotransistor,optodiode, and/or solar cell. The signal 110 can be any suitable devicethat produces light, such as an LED. The signal could also emitultraviolet light. In other words, the signal 110 can produce a widerange of wavelengths of light and the sensor 108 detects thosewavelengths of light. The inhalation device 100 can optionally usefilters in order to target a specific wavelength of light to optimallydetect vapor intensity.

In FIG. 1, the sensor 108 is positioned across from the signal 110. Thesensor 108 and the signal 110 can also be positioned in alternativearrangements without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Forexample, in FIG. 1A the sensor 108 and the signal 110 are positionednext to each other in the channel 106. In another embodiment, shown inFIG. 1B, the sensor 108 and the signal 110 are positioned next to eachother at an angle in the channel 106. The arrangements of the sensor 108and the signal 110 in FIGS. 1A and 1B use concepts of backscatter andfluorescence.

In backscatter, the vapor passing through the channel 106 can “reflect”light back from the perspective of the sensor 110. In this scenario, thevapor particle size would determine the “reflection” properties andangle of refection. In florescence, the light may get absorbed by thevapor particles and a new light may be generated. The new light wouldthen be picked up by the sensor. The light and sensor may be set upfacing the same direction (in parallel) towards the channel 106. Otheralternative positions of sensor 108 and signal 110 known to persons ofordinary skill in the art whereby the flow of vaporized substanceaffects the signal received by the sensor from the light produced by thelight signal device is intended to fall within the scope of thisdisclosure. For example, the sensor 108 and the signal 110 may be nextto each other but one of the sensor 108 and the signal 110 may also bepositioned at an angle.

FIG. 2 shows an inhalation device 200. The inhalation device includes aprocessor 204 and a timer 206. In this embodiment, the inhalation device200 includes an inlet 216, an outlet 208, a reservoir 210, a heatingelement 212, and a wick 213. The inhalation device 200 also includes anindicator 214 and a battery 215. The reservoir 210 stores the substancein unvaporized form, and the heating element 212 heats the unvaporizedsubstance from the reservoir 210 via the wick 213 to create a vaporizedsubstance, which is then inhaled by the user through the outlet 208. Thedevice 200 also includes a channel 217 through which the vaporizedsubstance produced by the heating element 212 and air will flow to theoutlet 208 when a user inhales.

The device 200 uses the processor 204 and the timer 206 to providemetering information to the user. More specifically, the processor 204controls the timer 206 such that when a user inhales using the device200, the processor 204 will start the timer 206 as well as the heatingelement 212 to begin vaporizing the substance. After the timer 206 hasreached a particular value, a particular amount of the vaporized elementwill have been produced, and the processor 204 will shut off the heatingelement 212. Alternatively, the processor 204 will not shut off theheating element 212, but rather will send a signal to the indicator 214that the particular amount of the vaporized element has been consumed.

For example, if the heating element produces 1 mg/second, and theparticular amount is 3 mg, the processor will turn on the heatingelement 212 when a user inhales, and the processor will turn off theheating element when the timer reaches 3 seconds. After the timerreaches 3 seconds, the processor will send a signal to the indicator214, which will then indicate that the particular amount has beenconsumed. The indicator 214 can be an audio signal, visual signal,visual display, or a vibration. The indicator 214 could also be atransmitter that sends a signal to an external device such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer indicating that a particular amount has beenconsumed.

Alternatively, the indicator 214 could display what amount the user hasconsumed. As shown in FIG. 5, as a visual indicator to the user, theindicator 214 may include a progressive meter indicator. This could takethe form of a sequence of lights, possibly LED lights, which indicatethe progression of the amount consumed by the user. For example, therecould be a sequence of four LED lights on the vaporizer indicating whena 25%, ½, 75% and full amount has been taken. When the full amount hasbeen taken, the lights might be programmed to indicate to the user thatthe full amount has been reached by flashing. The progressive meterindicator could take other forms, like a mechanical indicator, a dial, ascreen display, or a sound sequence. The progressive meter indicator maycontinue to meter and indicate the user beyond one cycle. For example,after a full amount has been taken the indicator will turn all lightsoff and begin turning on each light again as the user consumes.

In the above example, in which a particular amount is set at 3 mg andthe heating element 212 produces 1 mg/second of vapor, 3 mg will bedelivered to a user who inhales for 3 seconds. In the event that theuser cannot inhale long enough to consume a single dose in a singleinhalation, the device 200 is configured to keep a session open, with asession being defined as a particular time within which a can consumethe particular amount. A session in this case could be set to 10seconds. In this open session configuration, the device 200 can stopproducing vapor when the user stops inhaling and start producing vaporwhen the user inhales again. When the sum of the user's inhalationsamounts to consumption of 3 mg, the processor will send a signal to theindicator 214. Determining when the user stops inhaling can be achievedby using a pressure sensor. Where the pressure drops below a threshold,the heating element will stop. And when the pressure goes above thethreshold, the heating element will resume. Alternatively, instead oftime-based, a session can be vapor-based, where the device 200 keeps asession open until a certain quantity of vapor is produced.

FIG. 3 shows an inhalation device 300 according to another embodiment.The inhalation device includes a processor 304 and a timer 306. In thisembodiment, the inhalation device 300 includes an inlet 319, an outlet308, a reservoir 310, a heating element 312, and a wick 313. Theinhalation device 300 also includes an indicator 314 and a battery 315.The reservoir 310 stores the substance in unvaporized form, and theheating element 312 heats the unvaporized substance from the reservoir310 via the wick 313 to create a vaporized substance, which is theninhaled by the user through the outlet 308. The device 300 also includesa channel 317 through which the vaporized substance produced by theheating element 312 and air will flow to the outlet 308 when a userinhales.

The device 300 further includes an indicator 314 that will indicate tothe user when a particular amount of the vaporized substance has beenconsumed. The indicator 314 can be an audio signal, visual signal,visual display, or a vibration. The indicator 314 could also be atransmitter that sends a signal to an external device such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer indicating that a dose has been consumed.Alternatively, the indicator 314 could display what dose the user hasconsumed.

The inhalation device 300 can also include a sensor 316 and a signal318, such as an LED that produces a wide range of light wavelengths. Thesignal could also be one that produces ultraviolet light. The sensor 316and signal 318 are positioned across from each other in the channel 317.The sensor 316 senses the concentration of the vapor. For example, thesensor 316 can be an optical sensor that senses the intensity of thelight produced by the signal 318. If the sensor 316 senses a highoutput, this indicates that the vapor concentration is low, and thevapor/air mixture is mostly, if not all, air. If the sensor 316 senses alow output, this indicates that the vapor concentration is high. Theprocessor 304 records information from the sensor 316. The sensor 316can assist the device 100 in providing information about vaporconcentration to the user. For example, if the sensor senses a 5% dropin intensity from the signal 110, that could correlate to a mixture ofvapor/air that is 60% vapor.

The processor 304 uses data from the sensor 316 to calculate when aparticular amount of the vaporized substance has been produced. This isuseful where the substance is viscous such as cannabis oil. In suchviscous substances the amount of vapor produced for a given time canvary. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, when a user inhales using the device300, the processor 304 will turn on the heating element 312. The sensor316 will sense in real time (as a non-limiting example, every 0.1seconds) the intensity of the light from the signal 318. Using the datafrom the sensor 316, the processor 304 can determine when a particularamount has been produced.

For example, if a particular amount to be consumed is 3 mg and theheating element 312 vaporizes 1 mg per second, then theoretically the 3mg should be produced in 3 seconds. In practice, however, it may takelonger for the inhalation 300 device to vaporize 3 mg. This may due tofactors such as the time it takes the heating element 312 to heat up andthe consistency of the drug released from the reservoir 310 to the wick313. So for example, when a user begins to inhale, the first tenreadings of the sensor 316 in the first second (e.g., one reading every0.1 seconds) may indicate that the vapor produced over the first secondis 50% of the expected production. This percentage can be thought of asa vapor factor. The processor 304 will take this vapor factor intoaccount to determine when 3 mg is consumed by the user. In other words,the processor 304 will collect the data from the sensor 316 (e.g., every0.1 seconds) on the vapor factor to determine when 3 mg has beenconsumed by the user. For a given time, the processor 304 will multiplythe time (e.g., 0.1 seconds) by the vapor factor at that time, and willadd each of these products to determine when a particular amount hasbeen consumed. For example, if in the first second of inhalation, 50% ofvapor is produced, and assuming 100% of vapor is produced after 1second, the processor will able to determine that 3 mg has been consumedin 3.5 seconds.

In the above example, the processor 304 is capable of acquiring datafrom the sensor 316 and also included information on how much aparticular amount of substance is expected to be produced per unit oftime. The processor 304 can store additional vapor characteristics ofthe substance. For example, the processor 304 can store the time ittakes for the heating element 312 to heat to the temperature at which itvaporizes the substance. The processor 304 can also store the heatingand temperature variations during different inhalation profiles. Forexample, if a user inhales at a high rate, the air flowing through theinlet 319 and into the device 300 can cool the heating element 312. Theprocessor 304 can store information on different rates of inhalation toadjust, for example, the temperature of the heating element 312. Theprocessor 304 can also store information on the flow of drug from thereservoir 310 to the wick 313, the concentration of the substance withina given volume, and the vaporization rates of the substance at differenttemperatures of the heating element 312. The processor 304 as well asthe processors discussed herein can be standard integrated circuit (IC)chips made by IC manufacturers such as Texas Instruments.

FIG. 4 illustrates another inhalation device 400 according to anotherembodiment of the disclosure. The inhalation device 400 includes aprocessor 404 and a timer 406. In this embodiment, the inhalation device400 includes an inlet 419, an outlet 408, a reservoir 410, a heatingelement 412, and a wick 413. The device 400 further includes anindicator 414 for informing a user when a dose of the substance has beeninhaled. The device 400 also includes a charmel 417 through which airand the vaporized substance produced by the heating element 412 flow tothe outlet 408 when a user inhales.

The inhalation device 400 also includes a sensor 416 and a signal 418,such as an LED that produces a wide range of light wavelengths. Thesignal could also be one that produces ultraviolet light. The sensor 416and signal 418 are positioned across from each other in the charmel 417.The sensor 416 senses the concentration of the vapor. For example, thesensor 416 can be an optical sensor that senses the intensity of thelight produced by the signal 418 at wavelengths that would include, butnot be limited to, visible light and ultraviolet light.

The inhalation device 400 further includes a volume flow sensor 422. Thesensor 422 can be any suitable airflow sensor including, but not limitedto, any combination or stand-alone of the following: a pressure sensor,a propeller, a microphone or a piezoelectric sensor. The sensor 422 isused to measure the velocity at which the mixture of vapor and air flowthrough the charmel 417. So for example, if the sensor 422 is apropeller, the propeller would be installed in the charmel 417 and wouldspin according to velocity of the vapor/air mixture. The frequency ofrevolutions can be measured and used to calculate the velocity of themixture. If the sensor is a microphone, the microphone can be setup inthe charmel 417 to listen to the noise of the vapor/air mixture passingthrough the channel. A correlation can be made between the soundintensity and/or frequency to the rate of flow of the mixture.Optionally, the sensor 422 can be placed between the inlet 419 and theprocessor 404 such that it detects the air flow rate going through thedevice 400 when a user inhales.

The sensor 422 can be used to adjust the intensity of the heatingelement 412. The temperature of the heating element can affect theamount of the substance that is vaporized. The sensor 422 is able tosense how intensely a user inhales (i.e., senses the volume per unittime of an inhalation). The processor 404 can acquire this data andadjust the intensity of the heating element by adjusting the voltage ofthe heating element.

The sensor 422 and the adjustment of the heating element 412 is usefulin a non-limiting situation where the user desires to consume a dosemore quickly. So for example, if the device 400 is set up so that theheating element produces 1 mg/second of vapor and a dose is 3 mg, a userthat inhales at a high volume per unit time can consume the entire dosequicker than 3 seconds. In this scenario, the sensor 422 will be able tosense the higher velocity of the vapor/air mixture, and the processorcan increase the intensity of the heating element such that it producesmore vapor. The processor 404 can adjust the intensity of the heatingelement 412 in real time based on data from the sensor 422. So if a userdoes not inhale intensely, the sensor 422 will detect the decreased flowrate and the processor can then lower the intensity of the heatingelement 412.

In another embodiment, the inhalation devices described herein can beconnected to a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet andinterfaced with a software application. The software application canrecord the doses that the user has inhaled and record the user's dosageexperience. This information can be analyzed by the software to trackand optimize the user's experience with the substance inhaled. To helpimprove analysis, the user could also enter personal information such asailments, pains, weight and food intake. The information recorded can beused to accurately monitor a user's intake details and may be submittedto a doctor for review and/or improvement.

The application could also connect with other users via the internet.This could be used to share experiences, receive recommendations, andnetwork with a community of users. The application may also be used asan ecommerce platform to purchase dosage capsules, or vaporizerequipment. The platform could offer specific substances based on auser's rated experience. Another enhanced use might be finding otherusers within geographic locations that may allow for social interactionsand meetings. These enhanced services may be integrated with others overthe internet.

The vaporizer device could also be locked by the user via theapplication. This could be used as a safety feature against undesireduse (by children or others). There could be locking customizable locksetting to enhance safety or limit usage for those with low selfcontrol.

While embodiments have been described herein with a wick and heatingelement, other suitable methods of vaporizing a substance could beutilized without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Forexample, the substance to be vaporized could be placed in a chamber oroven. The oven can be a small cup made of metal, where a user couldplace the substance. The oven would then heat up and vaporize thesubstance. Any vapor produced can exit the oven and flow to the userwhen the user inhales

While embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it isappreciated that various substitutions and changes in the describedembodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit of this disclosure. The embodiments described herein arefor illustration and not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

1. A vaporization device for delivering an inhalable medicant to a user,comprising: a vaporizer for generating vaporized medicant uponinhalation by the user; at least one sensor measuring a parameter of thevapor; and a processor for calculating an amount of inhaled medicantfrom the measurements, and a display provided on said device forindicating said amount.